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Google home mini default speaker

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I have a Google mini and a Sonos play:3 in the same room. Since the play:3 does not have voice, I have to ask the Google mini to play the music.

If I just say: "hey google, play some music" the music plays on the mini which is definitely not what anyone wants... I have to say the room where the speaker is but not only that, if I setup both speaker in the same room the mini still gets the job. You can set default media playback device for the Google mini but no Sonos speakers can be selected.

Is that it? Is that what we waiting so long for? Cause if that's so, I'm getting rid of all of this and just getting Chromecast enabled speakers.

Please let me know I did something stupid and this can be fixed.
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Best answer by melvimbe 2 July 2019, 18:45

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40 replies

M
That's a highly desired feature that has not been implemented yet. There's no doubt that Sonos and Google are aware, so I can't imagine this is very low on the priority list. Sonos has stated officially that it will happen, or when that might be though. Then again, they rarely give out that kind of information.

Can you provide a link showing Sonos stating it will happen please?
S
I have a Google mini and a Sonos play:3 in the same room. Since the play:3 does not have voice, I have to ask the Google mini to play the music.

If I just say: "hey google, play some music" the music plays on the mini which is definitely not what anyone wants... I have to say the room where the speaker is but not only that, if I setup both speaker in the same room the mini still gets the job. You can set default media playback device for the Google mini but no Sonos speakers can be selected.

Is that it? Is that what we waiting so long for? Cause if that's so, I'm getting rid of all of this and just getting Chromecast enabled speakers.

Please let me know I did something stupid and this can be

@Steve Garon I have the same predicament. In my living room I have a playbar, sub and two play 3’s - none of which supports GA.
So I thought okay I can move a Sonos One from another room to the living room to act as GA hub there - no sir, it is a full 5.1 setup so it is not allowed.
Okay then - I go out and buy a Google Home mini to do the GA job as hub for the living room. No no, it will not recognize the Sonos 5.1 group as default speaker.
So now I’m left with a Sonos GA setup that works perfectly in all rooms apart from the living room where I’m left with a puny home mini to player my Spotify music via GA leaving the $$$$Sonos 5.1 on the bench. Dear Sonos and Google - please prioritize to implement Sonos as default speaker in Google Home (mini).
melvimbe
That's a highly desired feature that has not been implemented yet. There's no doubt that Sonos and Google are aware, so I can't imagine this is very low on the priority list. Sonos has stated officially that it will happen, or when that might be though. Then again, they rarely give out that kind of information.
Danny
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This really sucks because we've been waiting ages for this and is a very bad experience. Looks like I'll have to change my whole home system :-(Could you list the other whole home audio system that supports setting a default target speaker in Google Assistant?

Anything that support cast. I can set my Chromecast as a default target. I can set my Android TV as a default target. It just sucks because right now I never use my Sonos because everyone in the house use the Google minis to start music and the link with Sonos is just so bad that they don't use it.
X

So I’ve now spent hours trying to get my Sonos Move to show up in Google Home, which it does, but not as a device I can do anything with. Which is INSANELY stupid. Based on this thread it looks like that won’t ever achieve my desired result of being able to integrate a Sonos into my whole house system that I cast from my music player for. Has anyone been able to add their Sonos into a speaker group in Google Home? Is that the current state still? I see this thread started a year ago - is there really no cast support yet?

X

Every other speaker I have that supports “Google Assistant” enables the ability to cast. I can’t name another device that doesn’t, and I have a lot of devices, from a lot of manufacturers. This is my first Sonos device and I’m learning quickly the entire platform is based around having to use the Sonos app, which is not the case for any other wifi connected systems I already have. So yeah, you’re going to have confused consumers who are buying a “Move” portable speaker for being a really good portable speaker and not realizing it’s not like other devices they have.

S
Userlevel 2
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So it looks like the Sonos integration with Google assistant is worse that I originally thought. Not only Sonos speakers cannot be set as a default target, then don't seem to use the same backend search then Google assistant. When I request something to be played on the Sonos system by Google home, the answer I get it not the same voice and the search result for songs are not the same. Also, it is a lot slower to request something to be played on Sonos.

This really sucks because we've been waiting ages for this and is a very bad experience. Looks like I'll have to change my whole home system 😞
F

The only GA I have is a Sonos One, but it will allow me to default the music any other Sonos, or cast enabled speaker (bedroom is a Sonos One without GA, Kitchen is stereo pair of Play:1s, Lounge is a cast enabled soundbar, and conservatory TV is Chromecast. I see no reason you couldn't set up any GA device in the same way


 

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How do you even get to that menu? I can find nothing like it!

How have you added your Sonos devices? Once I linked the service I'm kinda done with options.

You get to that menu when you select a Beam or Sonos One from the list of "Assistant devices" in the Google assistant app settings.

With a One or a Beam you can pick any other sonos speaker as the default sound output. However, if you go into the same menu from a google home mini it only lists google home speakers. You're still unable to select a Sonos speaker as the default output for a google home. I had hoped that would be changed by now. I'm starting to suspect it won't ever be possible.

B
Userlevel 1
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Related question but has anyone been able to turn up the volume on the Sonos device from the Google Home Mini device? I've worked around the issue originally mentioned using some of the techniques above. In fact, I just put the home mini in its own room so as not to confuse it with the Play:5 in my actual Dining Room. But when I tell the home mini: "Turn up the volume in the Dining Room" it still insists on increasing the volume on the Home Mini and not on the Sonos component. 🤷🏽‍♂️.

A way to tell the home mini to _always_ use the Sonos for all audio output seems ideal.
melvimbe
If you make a music request on a Sonos One or Sonos Beam, without a target, it will play on the One or Beam. If the One or Beam is currently grouped with other Sonos speakers, it will play on the current group.

The ability to automatically target a different speaker than what you're talking to is going to be announced, though perhaps slightly after it's implemented.
Danny
T

It works since right now: https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5google.com/2020/02/15/assistant-sonos-default-speaker/amp/

 

I tried it with my Google home mini and my playbase. It works!

J

Hello all. New to Sonos as I installed a “5.1” system just over a week ago. I’m also experiencing numerous problems. My google home hub, of which I’ve had several prior to purchasing Sonos, is named Living Room as is the Sonos system. I found If I say “Hey Google play Christmas music in the living room” it plays on the hub but if I say “Hey Google play Christmas music in MY living room” it plays thru my Sonos speakers. I absolutely cannot get it to change the volume. Regardless of how I issue my command, the volume changes of the hub changes. On a side note, I also can’t seem to use voice commands with my GA and Harmony hub-based remote to turn anything off or on as it says “power controls are not yet supported”. The Sonos system doesn’t need powered off or on so I removed Sonos from my activity and now the remote doesn’t control the volume of the Sonos system. All very frustrating. 

R
Userlevel 4
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It works since right now: https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5google.com/2020/02/15/assistant-sonos-default-speaker/amp/

 

I tried it with my Google home mini and my playbase. It works!

I tried it with my mini and connect and the setting reverts back to default speaker home mini immediately. Hopefully will resolve itself. 

106rallye
Userlevel 7
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Sonos sells it’s speakers, at least the Beam, the Arc and the One and I believe te Move too, as smart speakers - meaning they connect to smart assistants, commanded by voice, either Google or Alexa. These speakers are also Airplay enabled. The ability to cast isn’t mentioned because and is not there. Why did you come to expect this?

 

The set up of these assistants should take minutes, so I‘m curious where it went wrong for you.

molis83
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https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3486?language=en_US
I found this article which seems new or recently updated. Looks like it should be possible.

I don't see anything on there about the default playback device or speaker.
106rallye
Userlevel 7
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I solved the reverting issue by not returning to the previous page but closing the Google Home app on my iPad after changing the default speaker to a Symfonisk. By doing this the change held.

S
Userlevel 3
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Why did you come to expect this?

Because it is the default expectation.  It is kind of odd that it doesn’t.  Of course it doesn’t and if you know the technical details and names of various services, it never says it does.  But the expectation is still the expectation.

P
I read this “This article will help you set up a Google Assistant-enabled device, like a Google Home or Google Home Mini, to control Sonos. Once set up, you can use the Google Assistant to play music to Sonos, skip songs, pause playback, adjust the volume, and more.” as that after linking it will be the default speaker.
106rallye
Userlevel 7
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I’m sorry you are disappointed with your speaker.

But you don’t think you might be generalising your expectation? Do we agree expectations should be checked before buying?

R
The only GA I have is a Sonos One, but it will allow me to default the music any other Sonos, or cast enabled speaker (bedroom is a Sonos One without GA, Kitchen is stereo pair of Play:1s, Lounge is a cast enabled soundbar, and conservatory TV is Chromecast. I see no reason you couldn't set up any GA device in the same way



1 Attachment
S

Sadly, I arrived to the same conclusion. Sonos play 5/ Google Assistant integration is basically rubbish, an alpha product mvp. All it can do is to play something on the Sonos, after adding a long, convoluted “play xx on Family Room”.

 

i have my google mini located in the same room close to Sonos, and the play 5’s loudness blocks any further voice commands towards Google mini. 
 

I still hear Mini’s voice in Mini, instead of the Play 5s!

 

not to mention it was a nightmare to setup the two. I literally wasted 2hrs linking Play 5 stereo pair to Google assistant - it took endless renamings,  unlinkings, etc. 

P
The only GA I have is a Sonos One, but it will allow me to default the music any other Sonos, or cast enabled speaker (bedroom is a Sonos One without GA, Kitchen is stereo pair of Play:1s, Lounge is a cast enabled soundbar, and conservatory TV is Chromecast. I see no reason you couldn't set up any GA device in the same way




How do you even get to that menu? I can find nothing like it!

How have you added your Sonos devices? Once I linked the service I'm kinda done with options.
tomythomson
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.

t.However, if you go into the same menu from a google home mini it only lists google home speakers. You're still unable to select a Sonos speaker as the default output for a google home. I had hoped that would be changed by now. I'm starting to suspect it won't ever be possible.

Yeah this is what I’m waiting for. I find both GA and Alexa on my new One severely lacking in features/functions compared to a native Google Home or Amazon Echo device. Kind of a bummer because I bought the One last week because I wanted a smart speaker that also sounds great. I currently have no assistant enabled on my One and was planning to try and have a Google mini control my One...until I found this thread. Here’s hoping Google will allow its Home speakers to set a Sonos as the default audio output. 

molis83
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It looks like we don't have to expect a better integration in de nearby future:

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/technology/sonos-sues-google.html

C

I got it to work :)

Step 1: in the Google home app, set your Sonos speaker location as a room that Google home mini is not in (e.g. toilet) hint: room can be fictional

Step 2: create a new routine with a voice command of your choice (e.g. play spotify) that will trigger assistant to: play "name_of_music_service" in the "room_name_from_step_1"

Step 3: enjoy

 *Attached screenshot of my set-up for your reference

 

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